The ‘other’ Indian beauty: Stunners from regional cinema

Feb 11, 2016 09:54 IST

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While Bollywood dominates the narrative (and the imagination) when it comes to Indian beauties, regional cinema has its own legion of stunners. Here’s a look... (Facebook)

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Tamannaah Bhatia: You saw her as the Amazon-like warrior-beauty in Baahubali The Beginning. And you couldn’t take your eyes off . This Mumbai beauty is a leading lady in Telugu and Tamil film industries.

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Koel Mullick: A regular in Bengali films, Koel Mullick is a stunner all the way. Daughter of well-known Bengali actor Ranjit Mullick, Koel is among the leading ladies in contemporary Bengali cinema. (Tollyqueenkoel/Facebook)

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Lakshmi Rai: A leading lady in all four film industries down south, this sultry siren is said to have had an affair with Indian cricketer MS Dhoni. They broke up in 2009, say reports. (IamLakshmiRai/Facebook)

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Amruta Khanvilkar: Appearing in both Marathi and Bollywood films, Amruta Khanvilkar is also an accomplished dancer. She won the dance reality show Nach Baliye 7 with her husband Himmanshoo A Malhotra. (Khanvilkar.amu/Facebook)

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Nithya Menon: Recall the pretty girl from Mani Ratnam’s OK Kanmani? Yes, we are talking about Nithya Menon. A Malayali by birth, the lady has worked in all four South Indian film industries. She also appears in ads and has a journalism degree from Manipal. (ItsNithyaMenen/Facebook)

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Nayanthara: A top-billed actor who appears in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films, the lady can give any actor(s) a run for her money. Talent and beauty come in equal measure. Nayanthara had a long-standing relationship with filmmaker Prabhu Dheva before she finally called it quits in 2012. (Actressnayanofficial/Facebook)

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Paoli Dam: This Bengali bombshell hit the national headlines in 2012 when she starred in Hate Story. While her Bollywood career didn’t really take off, she remains a permanent fixture in the Bengali film industry. (PaoliDamOfficial/Facebook)

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Taapsi Pannu: Joining a long list of girls from the North India making a career down south is actor Taapsi Pannu. She made her presence in Bollywood with films like Baby and Chashme Baddoor. Taapsi has delivered quite a few hits, most recent being Kanchana 2 in Tamil. (Taapseeofficial/Facebook)

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Anushka Shetty: Recall Amarendra Baahubali’s mother from Rajamouli’s film? That’s Anushka Shetty. A leading South Indian actor with a solid fan following in Tamil and Telugu industries, she has appeared in a number of hit films such as Singam, Arundhati, Mirchi and Rudhramadevi to name a few. Watch out for her in Baahubali: The Conclusion where she has a meatier role. (AnushkaShetty/Facebook)

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Tejaswini Pandit: Appearing mainly in Marathi films and television, Tejaswini is among the top-ranked female actors in the Marathi film and theatre. And from the look of it, she’s quite a stunner too. (Tejaswini-Pandit-166347660045732/Facebook)

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Raima Sen: With a famous mother (Moon Moon Sen) and legendary woman for a grandmother (Suchitra Sen), Raima Sen should know a thing about how genes play a role in one’s life. Having said so, Raima is a star-actor in her own right and is among the most sought-after actors in Kolkata today. (Raimasenofficial/Facebook)

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Samantha Ruth Prabhu: Among the highest-paid actors in Tamil and Telugu films, Samantha is much sought-after actor, routinely appearing with all the A-listers from the two industries. (Samantharuthofficial/Facebook)

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Rituparna Sengupta: Having appeared in Bengali, Bangladeshi and Hindi films and with a National Award in her kitty, Rituparna Sengupta, pretty much, qualifies to be in the league of top 10 female Indian actors today. (Rituparnaofficial/Facebook)

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Trisha Menon: Another A-lister, Trisha Menon is a leading actor in Tamil and Telugu industries. Crowned Miss Madras in 1999, she has starred opposite all the leading men in both the industries, having delivered a big hit with Ajith in 2015 (Yennai Arindhaal) and starred in the much publicised Kamal Haasan-starrer Thoongavanam. (Dudette583/Facebook)

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Keerthi Suresh: With her impish girl-next-door charm, Keerthi Suresh, is among the most-fancied young faces in Tamil cinema. Daughter of noted Malayali producer Suresh Kumar and actor Menaka, Keerthi’s Rajini Murugan is her most recent hit. (ActressKeerthySuresh/Facebook)

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Swastika Mukherjee: Bengal siren Swastika Mukherjee, who is best known to the mainstream Indian audience for her brief role in Dibakar Banerjee’s Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! is the daughter of noted actor Santu Mukherjee. (Swastika-Mukherjee-149553425153909/Facebook)

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Kavya Madhavan: Appearing mostly in Malayalam films, Kavya Madhavan is best known for films Perumazhakkalam (2004) and Gaddama (2010). First appearing as a child artist, Kavya typifies South Indian good looks -- a fuller beauty with tremendous grace. (KavyaMadhavan/Facebook)

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Mimi Chakraborty: A popular name from Bengali films, Mimi might just remind you of the young Mala Sinha, the yesteryears actor . (Itsmimichakraborty/Facebook)